Gumdrop flies in to distrubute magical rainbow feathers of wonderment to all participants!

David Whyld: +

Duncan B:

Po. Prune: +

Lumin: + 0

R2T1:

David got two points for covering two prompts, then was awarded Lumin's Special Bonus Point of Whimsy for creating a game! Lumin meanwhile is a busy person with prompt threads to arrange and places to be and so submitted nothing! (However a tiny little game..or two...miiiight be coming in the next couple days, stay tuned!)

I was going to write another little game – maybe the Further Adventures of Postman Matt (and his black and white cat) – but I decided on a fun little transcript instead.

YOU ARE IN A TOMB. YOU CAN SEE A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. YOU CAN GO EAST.

> GET MUSICAL INSTRUMENTYOU CAN’T DO THAT.

> GO EASTYOU CAN’T DO THAT.

> IYOU ARE CARRYING NOTHING.

> HELPI DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT TO DO.

> LOOKTHAT IS NOT UNDERSTOOD.

(Editor: Nice first effort, Bob. You've got a location and, um, an item, but there's not much to do.

Bob: Do you think I need to flesh it out a bit?

Editor: That'd be swell, Bob.)

YOU ARE IN A BIG TOMB. YOU CAN SEE A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT AND AN ELEPHANT. YOU CAN GO EAST AND WEST.

> GET MUSICAL INSTRUMENTDONE.

> PLAY MUSICAL INSTRUMENTYOU CAN’T DO THAT.

> X ELEPHANTIT MOOS AT YOU.

> GO EASTYOU GO EAST AND DIE BECAUSE THE FLOOR GIVES WAY AND SENDS YOU CRASHING DOWN INTO BOILING HOT LAVA.

> RESTARTYOU ARE IN A BIG TOMB. YOU CAN SEE A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT AND AN ELEPHANT. YOU CAN GO EAST AND WEST.

> GO WESTYOU GO WEST AND DIE BECAUSE A HUGE WEIGHT FALLS FROM THE CEILING AND KILLS YOU.

(Editor: It’s... an improvement, Bob. I guess. But... still not much to do. Why am I in the tomb? What is the musical instrument and the elephant for? Why does the elephant moo at me? (I'm pretty sure elephants don't moo.) Why do I die when I leave?

YOU ARE IN A REALLY BIG TOMB WITH A SKYLIGHT. YOU CAN SEE A REALLY COOL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT AND A REALLY BIG ELEPHANT THAT'S GREY IN COLOUR. YOU CAN GO EAST AND WEST AND ALSO NORTH. YOU'RE IN THE TOMB TO FIND THE TREASURE. YOUR NAME IS TREASURE HUNTER BOB. YOU'VE GOT A DARK PAST.

> GO EASTYOU GO EAST AND FIND YOURSELF IN ANOTHER ROOM FULL OF COOL STUFF, BUT IT’S NOT STUFF YOU'RE BOTHERED WITH SO YOU GO BACK TO THE FIRST ROOM.

> GO WESTYOU GO WEST AND COME TO A WATERFALL. SUDDENLY, A WOMAN WALKS ALONG AND SAYS ‘HI, BOB. I'M THE WOMAN OF YOUR DREAMS. LET’S RUN AWAY TOGETHER AND LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER.’ YOU GO WITH HER. YOU LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER. THE END.

(Editor: ...

Bob: You're impressed then?

Editor: Give it another go, Bob.)

YOU ARE IN A REALLY BIG TOMB WITH A SKYLIGHT. YOU CAN SEE A REALLY COOL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT AND A REALLY BIG ELEPHANT THAT'S GREY IN COLOUR. YOU CAN GO EAST AND WEST AND ALSO NORTH. YOU'RE IN THE TOMB TO FIND THE TREASURE. YOUR NAME IS TREASURE HUNTER BOB. YOU'VE GOT A DARK PAST. THERE'S AN OMINOUS PORTENT HERE.

> X OMINOUS PORTENTIT’S OMINOUS. AND PORTENTOUS.

> USE OMINOUS PORTENTYOU USE IT.

> HOW? HOW DO I USE IT? WHAT HAPPENS?SORRY, YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THAT.

> GO EASTYOU GO EAST AND FIND YOURSELF IN ANOTHER ROOM FULL OF COOL STUFF, BUT IT’S NOT STUFF YOU'RE BOTHERED WITH SO YOU GO BACK TO THE FIRST ROOM.

> SLAM HEAD ON DESKYOU CAN’T DO THAT.

> KILL MYSELFYOU CAN’T DO THAT.

> KILL BOBYOU CAN’T DO THAT.

> GO WESTYOU GO WEST AND COME TO A WATERFALL. SUDDENLY, A WOMAN WALKS ALONG AND SAYS ‘HI, BOB. I'M THE WOMAN OF YOUR DREAMS. LET’S RUN AWAY TOGETHER AND LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER.’ BUT INSTEAD, YOU SHOOT HER IN THE HEAD AND KILL HER THEN STEAL HER PURSE AND LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER. THE END.

@Lumin: I'm probably flying myself right into the flak barrage of the #Metoo people. But I simply have to say that I love you for having started this Writing Prompt thingy. I've never had so much fun at this forum. I'm really tempted to give you a few extra points for having brought so much life to the forum.

However, I decided against it for three reasons.1: But you're already so far ahead of the rest f us, and we wouldn't have a snowman's chance in H*** to ever catch up with you. 2: By using words like: ominous portent you almost fried my poor brain (or what's left of it) I actually had to use Google Translate to find out what it meant. 3: I would have to give points to David for making me laugh so hard and then he would be a head of me too.

Lumin wrote:I'm plagiarizing this entire thing and entering it in the IF Comp just fyi. Under the alias 'Dhavyd Wild'.

Over Po Prune's dead body!

I have you know I fully intend to enter this in the IFComp myself. Just as soon as I've added in a few references to racial equality, made Bob transgender and had the editor give a long talk about how he hates discrimination. Just, y'know, to give me a better chance of winning.

You slowly come to after your nasty fall down the stairs. Whatever made you climb up the ancient temple is still not quite clear to you but at the time it just seemed like the right thing to do.The little light that filters down through the ragged hole in the roof allows you to make out your nearest surroundings.The floor you’re lying on is a huge mosaic, picturing someone called Bob’s editor, beating him (Bob, that is) into a pulp with the latest version of the Adrift V.5 developer.On the other side of the room, eyeing you suspiciously, are Bob’s elephant. Standing tall and mighty, like an ominous portent, he is looking not at all friendly. Maybe because he just had to go through David’s entry to Lumin’s Writing Prompt #3 an ordeal he had absolutely no wish to be part of in the first place.As this ominous portent slowly approach you, you desperately reach into your back pocket and pull out your harmonica and start playing a happy tune.To your great surprise it works! The elephant stops abruptly right in front of you. He tilts his enormous head as if he’s listening carefully to the tune. Then he slowly lifts his right foot and:

Put his right foot inHe take his right foot out (Feel free to join in whenever you want)He put his right foot inAnd he shakes it all abouthe does the hokey pokeyAnd he turns himself around …

Unfortunately you don’t get to see the last part as the elephant accidentally steps on you and kills you.

2.) Write about: an island

You stand, leaning lazily against the railing of the ship. The two ice cubes in your whisky silent bump against each other in a perfect rhythm of the movements of the ship.Far away you can see the island, your island, majestically rising against the horizon. As the ship slowly gets closer you are able to make out more and more details.The golden sand that looks as if it flows from the dark blue ocean up towards the jungle. The monotonous green of the jungle canopy is broken by the dark mountain side that sticks up like a finger pointing at the sky.Half way up the mountain side lies your new home. The sun glistering in the huge panorama windows that overlooks the beach and the sea and the huge balcony where you picture yourself sitting with a drink in hand, enjoying the magnificent view of the setting sun.You are shaken out of your thoughts by the rattling of the anchor chain and the ship slowly comes to a halt.A little later your standing on the beach waving to the disappearing ship. Then you turn around and walk towards the jungle and your new home.

Po. Prune wrote:@Lumin: I'm probably flying myself right into the flak barrage of the #Metoo people. But I simply have to say that I love you for having started this Writing Prompt thingy. I've never had so much fun at this forum. I'm really tempted to give you a few extra points for having brought so much life to the forum.

However, I decided against it for three reasons.1: But you're already so far ahead of the rest f us, and we wouldn't have a snowman's chance in H*** to ever catch up with you. 2: By using words like: ominous portent you almost fried my poor brain (or what's left of it) I actually had to use Google Translate to find out what it meant. 3: I would have to give points to David for making me laugh so hard and then he would be a head of me too.

I wish I could take credit for the idea, but I believe it was NickyDude who ran the originals, way, way back in the day. They are fun though and something I really missed.

1.) I told you not to give me points for the joke game but you wouldn't listen!

2.) Huh, actually hadn't considered that that might be a little difficult on non-English first language peoples. I'm not even sure where it originates from actually, 'ominous portent of things to come' is just a cool phrase that was floating somewhere in my brain's databanks.

3.) You may take the five points from my single task joke game and give them to David for making us laugh and pushing the idea of points in the first place, if you like. But then...poor you! You're still pretty far behind either way, huh? As a matter of fact David will be too, pity points aside. Shame about that.

I wish I could take credit for the idea, but I believe it was NickyDude who ran the originals, way, way back in the day. They are fun though and something I really missed.

Since NickyDude isn't around to object I have decided that you have the points in his place.

1.) I told you not to give me points for the joke game but you wouldn't listen!

This was simply done to make a point of you can't tell me what to do! Beside, I'm the Site Admin and I can do (pretty much) what I want

3.) You may take the five points from my single task joke game and give them to David for making us laugh and pushing the idea of points in the first place, if you like. But then...poor you! You're still pretty far behind either way, huh? As a matter of fact David will be too, pity points aside. Shame about that.

Although I'm sure that Davis would, without doubt, agree to taking your points... If for no other treason than to take them I'm not too happy about having to mess around with points already given (unless you all want me to)Instead I'll give David 1 point for making us laugh (that postman Matt and his cat was priceless] and another for suggesting the point system. How's that?Like I mentioned earlier; Doesn't matter how far behind I am... I'm the Site Admin, remember?

Well I didn't think I was going to get this done, but, well here it is. Like David, I have also created a transcript of a game. Unlike David, I remembered to include a MOSAIC in mine and I couldn't find any elephants to include. I did manage to use prompts 1 & 2 into the same 'story'. I had a few ideas for the visual prompt but as the song says - "two out of three ain't bad"

Enjoy.

>ROW BOAT

On the RiverThe small craft moves away from the bank and is soon caught in the flow of the river. Ahead of you is the mysterious island that has suddenly risen after the powerful earthquake in the area last week. Despite having come from a watery grave, the island is covered in vegetation surrounding a large rocky outcrop in the centre of the island.>S

Against Island ShoreYour small boat reaches the shores of the island and you quickly secure the painter to an overhanging branch.>I

You are carrying a torch.(unlit)>OUT

Island ShoreLuckily you find a foothold amongst the low shrubs that line the island here. The rocky formation is off to the West while there appears to be nothing else of interest in any other direction. You can always return to your boat by getting back IN.>LISTEN

Your ears are greeted with a deafening silence from the island. It would seem that animals and birds still have not returned.>W

Dense ShrubsYou strike out through thick undergrowth towards the outcrop of rocks that don't seem to look quite like rocks should.>W

ClearingAs you clamber over a fallen tree, you almost stumble down a slight incline and arrive at a small clearing near the tall rocky structure.>X STRUCTURE

The rocks are not rocks at all but carved stone blocks. They form an obvious man-made structure that looks like a smaller version of the temples you have seen in the Valley of the Kings. There appears to be a low doorway near the southern wall.>TURN ON TORCH

Your torch is now shining brightly.>X DOORWAY

Shining your torch into the doorway reveals a short passageway which rises slightly and twists to the South.Lying against the doorway is a small pipe.>GET PIPE

Taken.>X PIPE

It looks to be some sort of primitive musical instrument. It is hollow and has four small holes along its length.>ENTER DOORWAY

Entry PassageCautiously moving into the passageway, you move inside, aware of the ominous portent of your actions. Discoveries were never made by being fearful and so you proceed upwards and southwards. The light from your torch cuts through the darkness to show the passage continues to the south.>S

Large ChamberYou have reached a large chamber at the end of the passage. A wall looms before you, blocking any further progress.>X WALL

The wall is covered with a huge mosaic mural depicting the life of the peoples that built this. There are scenes of farming, building and worship. From one of the vignettes, you determine that this was a tomb erected to their chieftain. There is one last scene that seems to be a jumble of images.>X JUMBLE

A closer look at these images reveals a matrix of tiles that are 4 tiles wide and 4 tiles high. One tile is missing.>MOVE TILES

After some deep thought, you find that with a few deft moves, you can use the space of the missing tile to slide the image tiles around to create the full picture.>X PICTURE

This shows a reed flute being played and this wall opening to the burial chamber beyond.>X REED

It is a short pipe with four finger holes. Two of these are covered with fingers as the user blows into it. >USE PIPE

Copying the image in the mosaic, you blow into the pipe to produce a musical note. As the note dies away, you hear a low rumble of stone blocks sliding on one another. Slowly the wall in front of you slides back into a recess and from the dark room you hear an ominous sound. The sound is of a myriad of large cobras hissing and slithering towards you.